“The pre-invite started as advance notice of destination, holiday, and summertime weddings, so guests could make travel arrangements,” says Mary Lou Brandhorst of Papyrus in Marlton. “Now they’re used across the board. The trick is to make sure yours gets noticed.”

Kira Hands of the Blue Tulip in Marlton agrees. “A clever save-the-date will be more likely to stick in people’s heads. For instance, a lottery-style card where you scratch off the date does the trick.”

Wedding planner JoAnn Gregoli of Elegant Occasions in Denville recommends sending a save-the-date card six to nine months ahead if wedding guests will be coming long distance. Include your wedding date, dates of related events, and your wedding website for details. To avoid confusion, note that a formal invite will follow.

You can get the news out instantly to a computer-friendly crowd without spending a penny via www.sendomatic.com. Dress up your message with music and motion if you wish. Or send a handwritten note to guests, namely Grandma, who may not be internet savvy. Another cost-cutting move is to combine save-the-dates with your engagement announcement. You’ll answer everyone’s very first question and avoid mailing the same people twice.

There are only three reasons to skip sending save-the-dates: If your budget doesn’t stretch, your timetable is too short (less than six months), or if all your guests are local.

So what might this save-the-date look like? Wedding planner Samantha Goldberg of Gold Events in Bridgewater tells us that “magnet save-the-dates are so been there, done that. Why not be a little different?” So here are some outside-the-box save-the-ideas:

Mail your message in a plastic bottle with a dash of sand, shells, or confetti. See www.capeimages.com or www.bottlemeamessage.com.

Send a mock boarding pass for your destination wedding.

Share a taste of what’s ahead: a morsel of your wedding cake inside its own tiny box. Ask your baker to create one, or bake your own.

Send a heart-shaped monogrammed cookie. Visit www.rollingpinproductions.com or www.cookiesbydesign.com.

“Because it’s often so fanciful, the save-the-date sometimes gets more raves than the invite itself,” says Gregoli.

And Goldberg offers another piece of advice: “Just keep in mind that if you wow your guests with a big-budget save-the-date, they’ll expect an even more elaborate invitation.”